Sweet Innocence Discovered At Work... in Me..me...me...

On Thursday of last week, February 6, 2014, I was performing a routine inspection at a cafeteria of a local church school. It was a nice,easy inspection and my contact was a cool fellow.
As we were reviewing the records I heard a soft voice calling out. The words were gentle and unsure, unmistakably those of a small child. My ears perked up, becoming oblivious to the words of the fellow I was talking to and zoning in on that soft gentle voice calling out. I could tell it was the voice of a girl, a small child I thought. As the innocent little voice came closer I turned and beamed a huge broad smile to her. I bent over as if bowing and and watched as she approached, her pace slowing with each step. Her eyes sparkled, her face glowing with joy, innocence and the purity of a child. She appeared no older than 5 years of age. She finally stopped her walk towards me, and stood still as I muttered a simple word of "yes" and her smile grew larger. Then there was a chorus of other little voices. I looked up from this sweet little angel, my face glowing, a smile beaming and unashamedly, tears in my eyes as all these childern came towards me, all uttering the same word as the first little girl.
That magical word......."Santa".
In an instant I was transformed into a figure of happiness and joy for these children. I never said to them I am Santa, I merely said yes, allowing them to keep that glorious innocence that is lost or stolen to quickly today.
I walked towards them, all of them smiling and staring in silence at me. I spoke kindly and tenderly to them, telling them to be good little boys and girls. Their teacher then gathered them up as she too smiled at me. I stood watching as these precious childern walked off to their class.
I hope they received as wonderful gift as I did. My heart felt good, my soul and spirit soaring. For a brief moment in time I was someone special to these little children. Forever they will remember that day they saw Santa at their school checking up on them, making sure they were good little boys and girls.
When I am at work my job requires me to wear a uniform and badge, nothing in my appearnce of dress even remotely suggests me as being Santa Claus.
But I do have a large white beard and shoulder length hair that is graying and curly. I used to always wear my hair pulled back in a ponytail, but lately I have been leaving it down. I do not go about trying to be Santa, I do not work as being a Santa during the Christmas Holidays. Many people have suggested that I do such work, but I prefer to allow children to see me as Santa in disguise, coming to check up on them.
This was not the first time I have been mistaken as Santa Claus.
Once I had a wee little lad approach me as I stood in line at a fast food restruant. He walked to me, his face turned up to mine, his eyes locked in a stare at me. He was mumbling incoherently in a little soft voice. His arm extended towards me, a slip of paper in his hand. I bent over to be closer to him and I took his slip of paper. He was now rambling to me and I could not understand him, though I was listening to each word. I was so focused, concentrating on each syllable trying hard to understand what he was saying.
When he stopped I looked up and noticed an older lady with him. She was smiling, tears were in her eyes and she was clasping her hands together over her chest.
I asked what he was saying as I could not understand him.
She explained to me in a quivering voice that her grandson was giving me his list, his Christmas wish list. She said he saw Santa and had to go speak to him and give him his list.
I could not help myself as I stood there and smiled and cried.
I acepted his list, told him to be a good little boy and I would come to his house for Christmas.
For me these little boys and girls give me a gift that is almost indiscribable. For a moment time stands still. I am seen as a wonderful dream come true. I am seen not as a frightening mall Santa, but as the real deal in the real world. I never ever tell them I am Santa, I just allow them to feel I am him. I let their hearts run free, their hopes soar and their spirits fly, just as they allow mine to do the same.
Briefly I am someone wonderful.